How do you guys do it?

[viperfish]

Originally Posted by OceanicCorals-Paul-

Nassarius Snails are good at cleaning up your Sand bed as well as Conchs.

The only downside to them is that they will out compete your corals if you are target feeding them. They will climb over anything and everything to get at the food being fed, but Nassarius's do an amazing job of keeping the SB clean.

Cheers,

Paul

I have a Bicolor Goatfish in my 180, it's like an eating machine! I have never seen any fish or invert that could outperform this guy when it comes to cleaning the sandbed. I have had sand sifting Gobies but they make too much mess spitting sand over my corals. The Goatfish does the same only without turning the tank into a snowglobe.

[Zoaelite]

I think it all comes down to maturity and your nitrogen cycle. A tank that is finally matured with a very healthy bacteria population and multiple nutrient sinks tends to have very little pest algae growth.

Cheato does a very good job of this, mangroves and liverock as well but the person who stated flow is vital is also onto something very important.
Levi

[Sean]

I was thinking of getting a cleanup crew, but i was scared that it would cause more waste in the tank.. So I should probbly look at the flow first and then maybe add a cleanup crew.

Thanks for all the advice guys

[reefwars]

a good cleanup crew is very important and should be added asap they clean waste etc. and i wouldnt worry about their bio load theyll do more good than harm and will get the places even flow cant get

[amoreira]

Repeat Post removed.

[amoreira]

I use a DSB (deep sand bed). It is a 4-6" depth of oolitic sugar sand. I also keep nassarius sand snails that hang around under the sand and pop up at feeding time. As well I have sand dollars and sea hedghogs. At night I flash a light on the sand and see a million critters crawing and scurrying about on it. The only problem I have is the odd patch of alge showing up on it.

With the DSB, I don't need to siphon any detrius. It's very low maintenance. It's not to be disturbed. It keeps my parameters at good levels (almost 0 NO3/PO4). I do run carbon (ROX 0.8 in a reactor) and GFO. Those help also. I also don't need tremendous flows in the tank. Big flows will cause a sand storm.

A DSB might also give you algae problems to some extent and a pH drop at night. To fix that I run a sump/refugium with macro algae on a lighting cycle reverse to that in the display tank. pH stays stable and the macro helps nutrient update. A good skimmer helps on that note too.

One note, my tank is not sterile. Every part of it has something growing on it ... from misc. corals to various algaes and unfortunately aptasia. Some people might look at it and think it not aesethically pleasing (i.e. as in neat and tidy). It's more a natural system and resembles true reefs IMO (being a SCUBA diver, I can attest to that LOL). Those who like the sterile look might prefer another system.

[Sean]

That will be my next purchase. Any suggestion on a cleanup crew for a 28g nano?

[trinac]

A sand dollar?! Can you post a picture of it? Where did you get it? What does it eat?

For clean up crew, I have a tank of similar size to you 30G, I have 2 nassarius snails, 5 astrea snails, 1 mexican turbo snail, 1 regular turbo snail, 1 pink emerald crab, about 8 small hermit crabs. Everything stays pretty clean. I have even a bit too many I think, I feed them nori sheets sometimes if things are looking especially clean. I am actually going to move the mexican turbo snail to my 90G, put him to work.

[Wayne]

Be careful with hermit crabs. I have the blue legged variety and I caught one taking bites out of a snail... Then the mighty hand came down apon them!